It was more than a quarter of a century ago that a young Jacinta Allan pulled off an upset few political watchers saw coming. In 1999, the 26-year-old political aspirant captured Bendigo East, a seat which had been held for the Liberal Party by former minister Michael John since 1985. Jacinta Allan pictured after becoming an MP, aged 26. Craig Sillitoe A near nine per cent swing – driven by regional discontent, economic anxiety and a backlash against the centralised style of Jeff Kennett’s Coalition government – catapulted Allan into parliament. Labor had capitalised on a mood that had been building for months, reshaping the electoral map in the process. Fast forward to 2026 and November’s looming state election, and the echoes of 1999 are difficult to ignore. A long-serving government confronting signs of fatigue, polling pointing to deep voter dissatisfaction, and a premier struggling to connect.…